Prosumer of the Year

You should be nominated Person of the Year.

You save energy, drive less and only use the post office to send Christmas gifts.

The rest of the year, you email, and cut down on phone chit chat.

You drive smaller cars, bag groceries, water the lawn and take out the trash.

You make your own coffee, heat the food and feed the children.

You scan your own merchandise, rent your video at kiosk and eat more can food.

You change A/C filter, low-energy light bulb, toilet tank, and start a library of “how to”.

You never stop learning about matters that relate to economics, macro or micro, trying to understand the inter-relatedness of nations (Iceland , Greece and Dubai), the environment and energy.

You help your child with homework, but most importantly, be a role model.

You put away the dishes, save scrap paper and start using cloth towel.

Plastic or paper? You say “neither” by bringing your own bag.

Forget the water bottles, you haul your water and have some exercise.

You are the prosumer who recycles printer ink cartridges, and donates stuff to Good Will.

You write comments on web sites, blog incessantly about matters big and small.

You learn and want to leave a legacy.

You raise awareness and eye brows.

I used to laugh at you, when I was having a good run during the Clinton administration. Now I am one of you.

You read labels on food, drug, garment and shoes, and appreciate the back-breaking labor that went into production.

You know it’s hard to be American and stay American, high-maintenance and a throw-away society.

(see my other blogs about Machine and Me, disappearing blue-collar jobs etc..)

You turn off the lights, even Christmas lights, early. You watch your neighbor’s kids and smile at strangers.

Have a nice day. Hold that door. You, the prosumer, the neighbor, the friend, the Person of the Year, on or off-line.

This year or any other year. Not Bernanke.